John Lawson, formerly of Inshriach Nursery,has died.

[Maggi Young]

John Lawson, formerly of Inshriach Nursery, has died.
John ran the famous Inshriach Nursery, known, long after the retirement and then death of its original owner as "Jack Drake's Nursery" for many many years.
If my memory serves me correctly he began working with Jack Drake in the early nineteen-fifties, after working at Ben Reid's, just up the road from where we live in Aberdeen.
Not only the many visitors to the nursery but the thousands more who flocked to the Inshriach plant stands at so many SRGC shows over decades will have known John. How many alpine collections began with plants from "Jack Drake's" or from the annual seedlist?
 John retired from the nursery some years ago, and he and Christine moved to nearby Kincraig to be nearer their daughter, Susan.
We still saw them from time to time, mostly at Edinburgh Show, where they would be spending time with daughter Dianne and her family.
The Lawson's were a quiet couple, never ones for a fuss, but they were good friends who enjoyed a laugh and a chat when we met up and it is sad to think that will not happen again.
We send our condolences to Christine and to Dianne and Susan on the loss of John.


This is the announcement of the funeral arrangements:
John Lawson -
Peacefully in St. Vincent's Hospital, Kingussie, on November 13th 2010.
John of The Flat, Speybank, Kincraig, and formerly of Inshriach Nursery. Dearly loved husband of Christine, dear father to Dianne and Susan and a loved grandad. Funeral service on Wednesday November 17th at Insh Church, Kincraig at 1pm and thereafter to Insh Cemetery. All friends respectfully invited. Family flowers only, please, but donations, if desired, for St. Vincent's Hospital. Enquiries to John Ross Funeral Servuices on 01479 872222.

[Lesley Cox]

Deaths, they say, come in threes and while John Lawson may have been less known internationally than Jim Archibald and Joyce Carruthers, I hope his is the last we must learn about for a long time to come.

I never met John Lawson but was an recipient of the annual seed lists from both him and Jack Drake before him. I had many fine things from Inshriach Alpine Plant Nursery, such as Primula reidii, P. cawdoriana, the amazing black form, and others, of Iris chrysographes, ramondas, gaultherias and many others. It is sad that yet another of the older generation of plantsmen and women has left us.

[Hristo]

Inshriach Nursery was one of the first 'true' alpine nurseries I ever visited. My abiding memory will be of John greeting myself and Simon at the nursery and allowing us to sweep the snow off the bed covers so we could buy some goodies! A great plantsman who always had a welcome who will be missed.

[Maggi Young]

At John's funeral today, this poem was slipped inside the orders of service by his daughters.......
A HYMN FOR GARDENERS

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful
The Lord God made them all.
But what He never mentions
Though gardeners know it's true,
Is when he made the goodies
He made the baddies too!

All things spray and swattable
Diseases great and small,
All things paraquatable, the
Lord God made them all.

The greenfly on the roses,
The maggots on the peas,
Manure that fills our noses
He also gave us these.

All things spray and swattable......

The fungus on the goosegogs,
The clubroot on the greens,
The slugs that eat the lettuce
And chew the aubergines.

All things spray and swattable......

The drought that kills the fuchsias,
The frost that nips the buds,
The rain that drowns the seedlings,
The blight that hits the spuds.

All things spray and swattable.....

The midges and mosquitoes,
The nettles and the weeds,
The pigeons on the green stuff,
The sparrows in the seeds.

All things spray and swattable.....

The fly that gets the carrots,
The wasps that eat the plums,
How black the gardener's outlook
Though green may be his thumbs.

All things spray and swattable....

But still we gardeners labour,
Midst vegetables and flowers,
And pray that what hits our neighbours
Will somehow pass by ours!

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

[Maggi Young]

 David and Carol Shaw attended the funeral and sent this message......

It was cold and windy in Kincraig, but dry. There was a very good turnout with the kirk almost full. Many locals who had great respect for John plus a good turn out from the SRGC travelling from the far SE Scotland, Lothians and the north. There were also friends from the non-alpine gardening world.
At President Liz Mills' request Carol told Christine that John had been honoured with Honorary Membership on Saturday.  Christine  was most touched by this.
The poem ( in the post above)  was inserted into all the service orders by his  daughter but this being the kirk, actually singing it would likely have been a step to far for the minister.

[Lesley Cox]

I'm going to my local AGS meeting tonight. I wonder if it would be acceptable for me to take a printout of that poem. It would resonate well with those attending.

[Maggi Young]

I'm going to my local AGS meeting tonight. I wonder if it would be acceptable for me to take a printout of that poem. It would resonate well with those attending.

I'm sure it would, Lesley.... and there may well be folks there who have known of John's long association with the world of alpine plants.